This invention relates chiefly to a guide device for a release bearing in a pull type friction clutch for a vehicular engine.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications, Tokkai Sho No. 58-5535 and/or Tokkai Sho No. 61-118129 disclose a pull type friction clutch in which a cylindrical shaft portion projecting out of a transmission case is inserted into, and fitted in the inner periphery of, a release bearing for a clutch unit attached to the crank shaft of an engine. A release fork assembled to the transmission case is engaged with an engagement portion formed in one of the inner and outer races of the release bearing.
To assemble a pull type friction clutch to an engine, it is usual that a clutch unit with a release bearing already assembled thereto is assembled to the engine, a transmission case is then assembled to the engine in such a manner that a cylindrical shaft portion projecting out of the transmission case may be inserted into the shaft hole of the release bearing, and thereafter a release fork is engaged with an engagement portion provided on one of the inner and outer races of the bearing. In such a case, however, it sometimes occurs that the phase alignment of the engagement portion of the member of the release bearing becomes improper with respect to the release fork if the cylindrical shaft portion and/or the release fork accidentally hit the release bearing when the transmission case is being assembled to the engine or when the release fork is being engaged with the engagement portion. For this reason, the assembly work had to be carried out with utmost care to avoid occurrence of an improper phase alignment, thus resulting a lower productivity.
This invention has been devised to solve the above-described problem and has for its object to provide a guide device designed to make it easy to carry out the assembling of the transmission case and the engagement of the release fork.